Loving in the Rain
by maonsie
Summary: Modern AU. An accident on the motorway sees Bran injured badly. Going back to school, he's worried that being handicapped will leave him even more alone than he usually is. That is, until a certain senior finds himself with an even worse crush on the boy. But terribly afraid to actually talk to him about it. A story of budding love and romance. [Multiple storylines besides Brojen]
1. Accident

**Loving in the Rain**

_A Modern AU Romance for Game of Thrones_

. . .

Rounding another bend, the younger boy looked at his brother driving the car. He'd just picked him up from a friend's house, taking him home for the night. It was storming, the rain pattering on the front windshield. Every time his brother would speed up, the younger boy felt his chest tighten a bit. It wasn't that his brother was a bad driver - it was only that he drove a bit too fast for the boy to feel comfortable, especially with more rain water flooding the motorway.

"Robb," the boy started, grabbing at the seatbelt strapped against his chest. His brother put his hand on the boy's shoulder, trying to calm him down.

"Relax, Bran. We'll be home in no time at all. I'm not gonna let anything happen to you." Robb gave Bran one of his grins, the grey eyes dark but warm. Bran returned the grin before looking back at the windshield, the rain still slamming against it. He couldn't see anything himself, but he trusted Robb to know how to get them back home. "Just close your eyes, alright. Go to sleep. Then it'll be like you're not even here." Robb said, letting go of the boy's shoulder. Bran nodded his head as he looked at his older brother. He gave one last grin to Robb, before closing his eyes, imagining he were in his room, reading. He loved to read while it was raining. Put on some music, and lay down in bed with a good book. He could feel himself falling asleep, and let the sensation take hold.

**. . .**

A sigh came from the older boy as he heard the first tiny snore come from his brother. He hated driving in storms. It scared him to death. But he couldn't tell Bran that, and have the boy worry even more. Looking down at his brother to make sure he was comfortable, Robb fixed the seatbelt, moving Bran's arm from underneath it.

He looked back at the road; everything looked good, even with the horrid visibility. "C'mon, just a bit further." Robb decided to check his mobile1#, bringing it out of his pocket. He opened the weather, looking at the radar. Storm wasn't even close to leaving the area. There were severe alerts from Winterfell all the way down to Cerwyn. One alert said to watch out for fallen trees and debris.

Robb was too busy reading the alert to notice the tree strewn across the M1. At the last moment, he looked up and saw it, slamming his foot on the break. Too little too late, the car collided with the fallen tree, and Robb's eyes went black.

He woke up first, with his vision blurry. It was still raining; even more heavily than earlier he noticed. No. The windshield was gone. That's why there was more water. "Accident," Robb said, the words escaping his lips. He shook his head, trying to shake off the dizziness, the blurriness. "What? Where are we?" The boy looked around, then saw his brother's body pinned to the seat.

"Oh fuck. Fuck. Fuck." Now the older boy was scared. Robb reached over, shaking his brother's shoulder. "C'mon, c'mon, c'mon. Fuck. Wake up, Bran. Bran!" He screamed at the boy, still shaking him. Robb fumbled for his mobile, checking his pockets before discovering it laying on the floor. With a pain in his left arm, he reached down, trying to grab it. "C'mon you bugger," he started, putting his fingers around it. "There, gotcha." He didn't notice the blood seeping out of his side and his arm.

Unlocking the device, Robb went for emergency services, quickly telling them what had happened. All of a sudden, he felt tired. He dropped the mobile on the floor again afterwards, and went back to Bran. "Please. Wake up." He shook the younger boy, again, before holding a finger to his neck. There was a pulse. He was alive, but he wouldn't wake up. "Bran... Please, Branflakes. Something, give me something, man." Robb laid back against his own seat, feeling himself fall out of consciousness. He looked one last time at Bran before his eyes faded to black again.

* * *

He opened his eyes, the dim fluorescent lights hard to look at. A tiled ceiling filled his gaze as well. The sounds of a heartbeat monitor and other tools filled the room. Robb tried reaching his arm up, but was stopped by a nurse. "Where am I?"

The woman shushed him, "You're safe. In hospital. You lost a lot of blood out there." Suddenly, everything was starting to come back to Robb. The tree. The accident. His brother not waking up... He sat up, a groan escaping his lips.

"What about Bran? My brother - is he alright?"

Once again, the woman shushed him, pushing him back down. "He's going to be fine. I'm going to let your parents in. Please, don't strain yourself." The woman gave him a smile, patting his shoulder, before walking away. All Robb could think about was Bran's limp body in the seat next to him.

He turned his head to the door to his room, seeing the man and woman enter the room. His mother had been crying. His dad had a pained look on his face - a look Robb didn't enjoy seeing at all. He decided it best to play it off without worry. "Hey dad. Mum. Had a little accident."

It was his mother who came over first, awkwardly trying to hug her son laying on the bed. She chuckled at his bravado, a sniffle coming from her. "You're okay, Robb."

"What about Bran? Have you seen him?"

Now, it was his father who spoke, pulling his mother away from him. He looked as though trying to figure out how to answer him. Robb's heart sank at the sight.

His father gave a hollow smile, holding his mother close. "He's alive. We can be thankful for that much. His legs were pinned beneath the weight of the tree and steel above them. They're damaged, and the doctor says they're doing what they can. But he's alive."

A tear came from Robb. He had promised Bran nothing would happen. And now, here he was, injured more badly than the older boy could imagine. "I did that to him."

"No, Robb." his mother said. "It doesn't matter what happened. The EMTs came in time to save the both of you."

There was a knock on the door, and a man came in, his gloves covered in dried blood. "Excuse me, Mr Stark?"

His father nodded his head. "I need you and your wife to come with me now," the doctor said, his voice giving no signs of what was happening.

His mother squeezed Robb's hand, and said, "We'll be back as soon as we can." She stood up, leaving out the door with his father. The nurse came back in and nodded to Robb.

"Your brother's strong. But, you need to be strong for him too. Get some sleep, your wounds need to heal too." She left, dimming the lights in the room slightly. Robb looked at the window, the rain still pattering against it. He whispered to the empty room.

"I should've listened to you Bran. Maybe now, we'd be at home watching some stupid movie instead of being here in hospital." Robb closed his eyes, and let sleep take him.

* * *

**A/N**: Aha, this is the start of a bran new fic that's going to be a bit more light-hearted in its story. Yes, will be totally Branjen and maybe some others. Sex, drugs and booze included. Well, we'll see about that. ;p

As always, leave a review, or comment, they mean a lot. But most importantly, enjoy the story. :)

_Disclaimer: I do not own any characters, places, etc from the universe of George R.R Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series or HBO's Game of Thrones. I write this for myself and the enjoyment of others._


	2. Chapter 2

Once again, the golden-haired boy found himself walking down the winding corridors of the school, his knapsack firmly strapped around him. Last class of the day, and by far the most relaxing, was his creative writing course. Basically translated to _write whatever you want _class. Jojen loved to write, for the most part. But there was another reason he took fancy to the class. There was a boy, a sophomore, who he liked talking to. Well, talk to was one thing, Jojen liked the way he laughed at his terrible jokes, or the way he would flick the hair behind his ear when he was thinking about something. No use in lying to himself, he had a crush on him. Since he'd moved to Winterfell last year, the Stark boy seemed to occupy his mind a lot.

He walked through the door, sitting down at one of the tables, taking his notebook and pen out. Jeremy, another one of the guys who sat at the table, walked in, waving to Jojen.

"What's up?" Jojen asked the boy.

"Nothing much, man. Fucking failed Ms Delby's bio test last block. Just wanna take a nap," Jeremy answered, laying his head on his book-bag. Jojen chuckled, shaking his head. Jeremy wasn't exactly the most engaging guy, but that didn't mean he wasn't fun most of the time. He had greyish blue eyes that Jojen actually found really attractive. Not quite as beautiful as Bran's brighter blue eyes, but they looked good on Jeremey. Still, the Reed boy kept his eyes focused on the door. He wondered what Bran was wearing today. If he'd had a good weekend. A few minutes passed and Kelsye, the girl who sat with them came in.

Jojen smiled at her, saying, "Hi Kel." She was cute, a brunette with freckles and green eyes. She was in almost all of his classes, same as last year. And he talked to her plenty.

"Hey Jo," she replied, pulling her laptop out and setting it up on the table. Jojen raised an eyebrow and she laughed, grabbing an assignment paper from her agenda. "Now, you boys be quiet cos I will be writing an essay on the differences between the political systems of Valyria and the Dothraki Horde. How much fun does that sound like?"

A muffled voice came from Jeremy, his face still buried in his book-bag. "So much fun Kelsye. Why do teachers have to give tests on fucking Mondays." The bell rang, signalling the beginning of class. Following that with a groan, Jeremy put his headphones on. "You guys have fun. Wake me when the bell rings to let us go."

Ms Graham closed the door, and made her way over to her desk, grabbing her clipboard. She silently checked over the seats to make sure everyone was there. Jojen's heart sank a bit. Bran was absent. She looked over, and Jojen pointed at Bran's empty seat next to him. Ms Graham spoke up, "Yes, his mother e-mailed me. He was in an accident last night-"

"Accident! Is he alright?" Looking around, Jojen's cheeks went a bit red. Some of his classmates were looking at him curiously for the little outburst, Kelsye included; a smirk was on her face. Quickly though, they went back to what they were doing. He assumed Jeremy hadn't heard anything - he might had even heard a snore come from the boy.

"Yes Jojen, he's fine," his teacher said, smiling. That made Jojen feel even more embarrassed - to have his teacher say that like they were in pre-school. "Should be back in class in a few days." She continued her tallying of the class, and the Reed boy went back to his notebook, opening it up to a story idea he was playing around with. He felt like someone was watching him though. Looking up, his eyes locked with Kelsye.

"What?" he said, looking down, trying to write in his notebook.

She giggled, shaking her head. "It's nothing."

"It's not nothing, or you wouldn't have said anything." He looked back up to her, still smirking at him.

"I didn't say anything though. You did." Her fingers went back to typing, and once again she giggled.

Jojen ran his hand through his hair, shaking his head. He decided how best to tactfully approach this, and said, "I'm allowed to be worried about Bran. He's a good kid."

"Right. That's all. A good kid," she said putting her fingers up to quote herself. "Well, I'm sure he'll really appreciate to hear that you're so worried about him." Jojen couldn't help the bit of pink to come onto his cheeks. He liked Kelsye, but she knew too much for her own good. And she was going to make the Reed boy say something he didn't mean to. "I need to get to writing my essay. Let me read anything you finish for your story at the end of class."

"Okay, okay. Go write your stupid essay."

Kelsye smiled at him, and said, "Thank you. And yes, it will be plenty stupid."

* * *

The sun was shining outside, and Jojen stretched his arms out, letting it all in. Jeremy shoved his shoulder a bit, causing Jojen to shove back. "I'll see ya, alright."

"See you later, man," Jeremy said, waving him off before walking away. Jojen waved after the boy. His sister Meera was picking him up from work; she said she'd be a few minutes late, so the boy sat on the curb and took his mobile out.

He opened Facebook, checking up on some things before going over to Bran's page. "Remember the day we added each other. First person from Winterfell I friended," Jojen said to his phone, smiling at the boy's profile picture. He had a an adorable blue scarf on, the smile beaming on his face. With his finger, Jojen traced along Bran's face, smiling to himself. He heard a car pulling up and looked up to see it wasn't his sister, just some other kid's mum. Shaking his head, he looked back at his mobile, backing out to look at the news.

A few minutes of mindless reading passed before finally his sister came. "Hop in Joje!" she yelled from the driver's side. Jojen picked up his bag and got into the car, buckling himself in. She started down the street, and asked him, "Good day?"

The boy nodded, "Yeah. It was alright. Long Monday."

"Don't miss it one bit," Meera said, laughing, having graduated the year before. She was taking a year off before going to university, and working in a little cafe downtown. Jojen would hang out there - got to write and get free coffee. Not much to not love about it. "So, heard about Bran."

Jojen, luckily, was looking out the window, leaving Meera unable to see the slight amount of red that came to his cheeks at mention of his name. "He's okay though, I know that much."

"Still sucks." Jojen gave a dry laugh, to which Meera punched his shoulder over. "I'm just saying, he's probably over at North Medical. We could drive over, you could buy some flowers-"

"Not funny, Meera."

His cheeks were a bit more pink now, and his voice had cracked a bit while saying it. The girl feigned ignorance and asked, "What? Bet he'd love you to come visit him in hospital."

"I hardly even talk to him even in school. Last thing he'd want or expect is me coming over to see if he's alright."

Meera was shaking her head. "You say that bro, but I could call up Jon. Make it all three of us. He's been meaning to head over and check up on him." Jon was the adopted kid in the Stark family. Though, now he was all grown up and living in a flat of his own. Bran talked about him a lot, and he worked at the same cafe as his sister. She claimed they weren't a thing - but Jojen suspected they were.

"I don't know... You think we should?" he asked, drawing his lips together, a bit of blush still on his cheeks.

The girl stopped at the light, and had a thinking look on her face. "I'll call up Jon; see what he has to say. If he's free tonight, we'll head over there together. Sound good?"

Jojen looked again out the window before looking back at his sister. "Yeah, alright. Sounds good." Inwardly though, all he could think about was how much of a fool he was going to make of himself if they did go over to the hospital.

* * *

**A/N**: As always, leave a review, or comment, they mean a lot. But most importantly, enjoy the story. :)

_Disclaimer: I do not own any characters, places, etc from the universe of George R.R Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series or HBO's Game of Thrones. I write this for myself and the enjoyment of others._


	3. Chapter 3

He had woken up some time in the late afternoon, confused as to where he was. He blinked his eyes, finding that one of them was covered by something. There was beeping coming from all around him, and the boy had finally figured out that he was in a hospital room. A bandage was covering the right side of his face, and he decided it best to not rub at it any more than he was about to.

Wearing cyan scrubs, a woman walked in, smiling at him while she checked one of the machines next to him. She pressed a button and then spoke. "You're finally awake. Let me get the doctor." She tapped his hand and left the room. He looked around the room some more, trying to sit up. There was a large spasm of pain in his back, and he collapsed back onto the bed.

"Fuck..."

With the nurse in tow, the doctor moved quickly into the room, making his way over to the bed. "You were in an accident the other night," he started. "Don't strain yourself, Brandon. There'll be quite a bit of pain right now. That's just your body trying to heal itself. Your parents are on their way; we'll discuss everything then." He picked up a remote off the table, handing it to Bran. "Room's all yours, so you get the telly." Bran grinned, and the doctor patted his shoulder carefully. Inside though, he was rolling his eyes. Like he really needed the doctor to brush this off as nothing.

Bran opened his mouth to speak, finding his voice weak. "Can you... lift my head?"

"Hold on." The doctor held Bran's neck straight, having the nurse raise the top part of the bed up. "There. Now just relax, don't move too much." Nodding his head, the doctor left the room. The nurse gave the boy another tiny smile and patted his hand. She put a little device near his hand.

"Just press on this if you need anything, and I'll be here asap." Bran gave the women a tiny grin and watched as she made her way out the door, closing it slowly. That was when the grin subsided. He immediately tried to move again, feeling the pain in his back again.

His arm was another story entirely; his right arm was bandaged, and Bran could see dry spots of red all along it. "What the fuck... happened," the boy said to the emptiness of the room. He flicked the telly on, finding a cartoon he enjoyed, _Life with the Wolfboy_. It was good to watch it; even if it was stupid, it was taking his mind off of things that were happening.

The nurse popped her head in the room, seeing Bran smiling and giggling, before closing the door again. Bran felt himself getting a bit sleepy and closed his eyes. He told himself it was only for a minute, but that minute turned into a half-hour.

* * *

The sound of the door closing made the boy wake up. He blinked his eyes a bunch, and forgetting almost everything that had happened, he tried to sit up again. He flinched from the pain. The nurse came over and helped him back down into a comfortable position. "Relax, let your parents come over to you." Bran nodded his head lightly, waiting for his mum and dad.

"Hullo Bran," his father said, trying his best to put a smile on.

His mother came over to him, resting her arm on the rail and grabbing onto Bran's hand. Her hands felt really warm. "How are you feeling, dear?" She had a worried expression on her face, and she was desperately trying to hide it. Bran didn't like seeing it.

"It hurts," the boy said softly. His mother squeezed his hand.

"Where?"

Now it was the doctor who cut in. "If you'll excuse me Ms Stark, but I believe we should tell him," he started before looking at Bran. "And I do believe it's hurting almost everywhere." For the first time, Bran had to chuckle at the awful joke. It made everything hurt more, but it was worth it. The doctor couldn't have been more right had he been the one laying there.

His father stepped forward, nodding his head. "Yes, go ahead and tell him. Won't do to leave it in question. Come here, darling." His mother let go of his hand and went to stand with his dad. She had tears in her eyes.

"Well, Brandon. You came in last night after quite an accident in your brother's car. Collided with a tree on the A1." Bran winced at that, and closed his eyes. He'd been asleep. He'd been fucking asleep. And that's why he'd only come to here. In hospital. The doctor went on, "You were passed out in the passenger side. EMTs had to cut you out. The pain you're experiencing in your back... You suffered from a severe loss of blood in both your legs. And your lower spine was broken from the collision." The doctor seemed to stop talking, or Bran had simply gone into shock. Either way, he couldn't hear anything; focus on anything other than the truth. He was paralysed. A cripple. That was when the first tear rolled down his cheek.

The doctor's voice came back, though he sounded more like he was addressing his parents. "As you know, we tried everything we could do here. We don't have to amputate, which is better in the long run. It is possible that your left leg could regain some strength if we realigned your lower spine. But that's a dangerous surgery we can't perform here, and it's not a guarantee."

He put his hand on Bran's left shoulder. "Now, the good news is that you won't be without your right eye for too long. And the cuts all along your right arm should be healing quite well. But we will be keeping you in hospital for at least another week to make sure things are working fine. And then of course, physical therapy to ensure you can continue moving around, in a wheelchair for now.

"You did take the worst of the accident. But, you're alive. And that's a miracle in itself. I'll let you talk with your parents, but after that, it'd be best if you got some rest." He patted Bran's hand, and left, closing the door behind him. The boy looked at his parents, silent tears still rolling down his face. He couldn't stop them.

"So what do you think?" his father said.

Bran gave a tiny dry laugh, his throat closing reflexively at the action. "I'm a cripple."

"No. You're Brandon Stark. Our son. This is just a tiny setback." His mother came over and gave him another awkwardly placed hug, because of the injuries. She wiped the tears from his face. "We'll get through this together. All of us."

That set off a little reminder in Bran's head. "Where is Robb?"

"He's at home, resting. Didn't want to be taking up a hospital bed when he doesn't have to. He told me that tomorrow, he'll come over with some lunch. Your favourite from that Braavosi place. Spend the day with you," his father said. Bran nodded his head, grinning.

"It's not... his fault. Raining really hard," the boy said.

His mother squeezed his hand again. "He knows. He'll also be bringing Arya and Rickon from school to see you tomorrow." Once again, Bran nodded. That would be nice. A part of him wanted to see Sansa as well, but she was at school in Kingston. He'd have to Skype with her later or something.

"Oh, and Jon will probably swing over tonight; if that's okay with you?" Bran smiled at what his dad had said. Seeing Jon sounded pretty good.

"Yeah. I'd like that."

"I'll let the hospital know. So, you've everything you need here. You know you can get to us whenever, if you need anything at all," his father said. He walked over and kissed Bran's forehead. His mother kissed his cheek. "Your mother and I both love you. Be safe."

They left the room, and Bran let out a huge sigh, feeling his chest rise and fall. As if to prove to himself that the doctor had told the truth, the boy tried to move his legs. Nothing happened, just more pain in his back. "Seven fucking hells."

Bran balled his left hand and punched the bed. He couldn't even sit up, or move around. Though rationally, he was sure that was temporary. A few more tears still left his eyes. Turning the telly on, he closed his eyes, letting the sound of the programme fill the room. But all he could think about was whatever cruel trick the world was playing on him, that it would take away his legs.

* * *

**A/N**: As always, leave a review, or comment, they mean a lot. But most importantly, enjoy the story. :)

_Disclaimer: I do not own any characters, places, etc from the universe of George R.R Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series or HBO's Game of Thrones. I write this for myself and the enjoyment of others._


	4. Chapter 4

Home at last, Jojen pulled off his coat and threw it onto the sofa. He quickly made his way upstairs to his room, rubbing under his shirt at his stomach growling. A long yawn escaped his mouth - Monday's were tiring as fuck. Opening the door, he put his knapsack down on his desk and fell onto his bed, stretching his arms out over the soft futon. There was a green cover, mainly because Jojen liked green. It went well with all the darker furniture in the room. Two windows streamed light in from the outside. He had a view of the street; the trees were still bare from the cold.

The Reed boy lived in a fairly average-sized room, but with all the junk and clutter, it was a bit hard to actually see any of it. There was a pile of clothes over by the door, just short of the hamper that he did have in his room. He could clean up and put it in either his chest of drawers or the closet, but that was work that he didn't care to do. Jojen sat up and reached to his desk for his tablet. And after stretching like a stripper, back arched and bum up, he got a hold of it and pulled it to his bed.

Another yawn come from him, and he laid down, plopping the tablet on his stomach and stretching his arms upwards. A nap wouldn't be such a bad thing, especially if he was going to be out for most of the evening. That's when Jojen's eyes went wide and sat up again. Going out tonight. To the hospital. To see Bran. Fuck.

He pulled the tablet up, looking at himself in the reflection of the glare. Jojen decided on taking a shower, and while he was climbing off the bed, went to grab a new shirt from a different pile - the clean pile. He also went over to the drawers to grab some pants. "Yeah, I'm gonna go with you," he said, grabbing a pair of briefs he'd bought from Wolf Style Apparel a few days ago.

"New briefs to see Bran in the hospital... I'm fucking mental. But maybe he likes that about guys," Jojen said, shaking his head at the thought of Bran wanting anything to do with him. And with the black skinny jeans also under his arm, he walked over to the bathroom door. Locking it, he went over and started the shower to let it warm up before dropping all of the clothes on the counter. He looked at himself in the mirror and ran his hand along his chin and cheek. No-one had really ever told him he was attractive, and he hadn't had any girlfriends or boyfriends. But no-one had ever called him ugly either, to be fair.

Longish and curly. That was how Jojen would describe his hair. And it was golden-brown; not blonde, or dirty blonde, but gold. Running his hand through it, it poofed up a bit before curling in the front again. He couldn't deny that it wasn't the best of hair. For instance, Bran on the other hand; his hair looked so soft and warm. Jojen was prone to stare at it in class out of the corner of his eye. He shook his head again, and started to pull off the t-shirt he was wearing.

Looking back at him was a skinny, flat stomach. Jojen didn't do much to keep it like that, and he didn't do much to make it look like anything else. And it was smooth for the most part. The sole exception being a thin trail of that same golden-brown hair going from his mid-belly down underneath the dark khakis he had on. Jojen unbuckled them, pulling them down along with his boxer-briefs at the waistband. Quickly looking over himself, he jumped into the shower and let the hot water roll down his skin.

A part of couldn't believe he was taking a shower to look nice for a boy who didn't even see him as anything more than a fleeting acquaintance. He'd probably be busy talking to his foster-brother Jon anyway. Jojen grabbed the shampoo and lathered up his hand, running it through his hair, making sure to get every single last strand of his curly hair covered. And then standing under the shower head, he let it wash off, still running his hand through the hair to make sure that it all came out.

Next was the soap, and he made sure to scrub everywhere he could, starting softly at his neck before rubbing furiously at his arms and legs and stomach. It was then that he moved his arm down, rubbing the soap over his crotch, careful not to actually get soap on his cock. He knew from previous experience that it could sting a lot, and right now, he didn't want to nurse it back to health. "Not that I wouldn't mind letting Bran do that," Jojen said before stopping. He'd actually just said that out loud. "Yeah, I'm fucking mental."

He couldn't help himself though. The thought of Bran, here in the shower with him, rubbing bodies together. It was a good thought. A really good thought. A grin came to Jojen's face as he thought about it while washing the soap off of himself. That was enough of that, he decided as he turned the water off. Grabbing his towel, he wiped his face first, then started rubbing his body and stepping out of the shower. The air was freezing and he wrapped the towel snuggly around himself, imagining Bran's arms wrapped around him. "Fuck..." he kept drying the water off of himself, dropping the towel on the ground. Now, he took a good look at himself in the mirror.

His legs were long, and thin. Like his body, he didn't do much to keep them that way. A quick jog every now and again, but that was it. Bran looked even thinner than he did. Bran looked infinitely better than he did. He was still somewhat hard, and imagining the boy's body, it got a bit harder. But he couldn't do anything about that now. Jojen grabbed the briefs, pulling them up first before slipping his arms into the dark green tee he grabbed. With each leg in, he pulled the skinny jeans up, buttoning them. "Yeah, I look sexy as fuck," he said, smirking at himself in the mirror.

Jojen was about to grab his comb, but then he stopped, taking a step back. Without any rhyme or reason, the boy shook his head over the sink, letting it air dry quickly. Making it look even more curly than usual. Maybe he'd just leave his hair, crazy as it was. Let Bran see him in a way he didn't normally see the boy. There was knocking at the door to the bathroom causing Jojen to jump slightly. "Jo! We've gotta go if we're gonna meet up with Jon and get something to eat first!"

"Alright! I'm coming!" Jojen yelled back at his sister. He could hear her walking away, towards the stairs. The boy opened the door and quickly hopped over to his room to grab his mobile before heading out the door and downstairs. His sister was already in the car by the time he was getting out the front door, throwing his leather jacket on. He jumped in the front and fastened his seatbelt. His sister had an incredulous look on her face.

"What the fuck did you do to your hair?" Meera touched it with her hand, a smirk playing on her lips.

Jojen threw his hand up to stop hers from touching his hair. "Hey, hey! I'm just trying something new."

"Mmhmm, sure. That's all." The two of them sped away towards downtown.

* * *

It wasn't that Jojen didn't like Jon, because he actually really did. The guy was cool, and could be really nice at times. But the truth was, whenever he and Meera were together, they both left Jojen to his own. Not that being alone was necessarily the worst thing possible; Jojen liked being alone most of the time. Tonight though, he seemed to be far more interested in Jojen than normal. He had to guess that Meera had something to do with it. The three of them were at a little Dornish-styled restaurant, sitting around one of the empty tables inside. It was a quick place to eat, and Jojen liked it.

"So, you and Bran get along well in class?" Jon asked the boy, stuffing his mouth with rice.

Jojen looked at Meera with question in his eyes before answering the black-haired boy. "Yeah. He and I get along. Bran was one of the first people I met at school after moving here." Jon nodded his head, still eating. He swallowed before talking again.

"Well, it's good that he'll be having a friend come and see him. Dad told me that he wasn't in such a good mood when they went to see him earlier." Inwardly, Jojen had a moment of panic. Like he would be able to make the boy happy.

Meera asked him, "How bad is it?"

Jon shook his head rather than answer. "Let's wait 'til we get to the hospital. Think it would be best if you saw it yourself." Hearing that, Jojen frowned and looked down at his plate. Jon noticed his sullen look. "Hey, don't worry man. For the most part, he's fine. Really."

Nodding his head, Jojen put on a grin, hoping the older guy wouldn't feel any more sorry for him. "I need to go use the toilet really quickly." He stood up and started to make his way to the restroom.

"Hurry back. Visitation ends in an hour, so we'll be going soon," Jon said to him. Jojen waved his hand back, turning around a corner. He opened the door to the restroom and went to the sink immediately. Splashing some cold water on his face, he just wanted to calm down.

"C'mon Jojen. You're not such a pussy to worry this badly about him. He's just a boy," he said. A laugh came from him, echoing through the restroom. "Though, you're the one talking to yourself in the fucking restroom." Jojen wiped his face off with a paper towel and went back outside, walking down the corridor. The sound of Jon talking made him stop.

"Bran's talked to me plenty about him. Jojen this. Jojen that. He's asked my opinion plenty 'cause I guess he thinks me wise about this shit or something."

Meera laughed, and Jojen heard her say, "You see Jo's hair. He spent like an hour in the bathroom after school, showering and stuff. He wants to look nice for him. It's cute."

Jojen could feel his chest tightening. As if he wasn't already nervous, now the two of them were having a fucking conversation about his crush on Bran. But if Jon was right, it seemed Bran talked a lot about him in return. The tiniest little grin came to his face thinking about that, and he went around the corner.

"Alright, let's get outta here. You wanna follow me in your car?" Jon asked Meera, as they stood up. She nodded and once again, Jojen found himself fastening the seatbelt to his chest. He could feel his heart beating even faster than it was before they'd left earlier.

"You okay bro?"

The boy nodded his head. "Yeah, just worried over nothing."

"Bran's not nothing, Jo." She pushed his shoulder, and started the car, following Jon out onto the busy high street. His sister was totally right though. Bran was a lot more than nothing.

* * *

**A/N**: As always, leave a review, or comment, they mean a lot. But most importantly, enjoy the story. :)

_Disclaimer: I do not own any characters, places, etc from the universe of George R.R Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series or HBO's Game of Thrones. I write this for myself and the enjoyment of others._


	5. Chapter 5

Jojen had a predisposition to hospitals that went back to his younger years. Walking into the lobby, he didn't feel any better about them. He'd looked up the hospital on his mobile while they were on the way over, just to see what kind of conditions Bran would be in. Even with it being under supposed renovations, the hospital was probably the most well-regarded in the Northern province for its ECU capabilities. And considering they weren't in Kingston or Highgarden, he was happy Bran was checked in here.

The fluorescent lighting and the white-tiled floor, combined with a reception room made him feel like he was walking into a prison. The security officer standing in the corner didn't help to disprove that notion. Not to say that he'd been in a prison himself or anything like that, but he'd gone to a correctional facility with his sister a few months ago to visit a friend of hers. He didn't judge her much for that - pretty typical that one of Meera's friends would actually end up in prison.

"Can I help the three of you?" the nurse on duty said. She had a smile on her face, and Jojen was at a loss if it were real or not.

Jon answered for their group. "I'm Jon Stark. Here with these two to see my brother-"

"Brandon, right? Sure, let me buzz you through."

The door mechanism unlocked, and the three of them walked through to the other side. Another nurse was waiting for them. "He was awake the last time I went in to check on him," she said as she called the lift. After stepping in, she hit the button for the third storey, and they went up. "Now, do you know what's happened?"

"Yes, I do. They don't. Would like for them to see Bran and hear from him," said Jon. Once again, Jojen found his stomach drop a bit at hearing the nurse's question. And Jon had to answer as cryptically as possible. But the nurse nodded and opened the door to his room, closing it behind him. Jojen took the time she was in there to relax his breathing.

Meera nudged his shoulder, and said, "It'll be okay, okay?"

He nodded his head as the nurse walked back out. "He's ready for you. Be mindful of bandages if you hug or anything like that." Again, the nurse smiled. And the three stepped into the room.

* * *

Jojen wanted to cry at the sight. This boy, this incredibly sweet and energetic boy who would always come into last block with a smile on his face and the excitement to raise everyone's mood, was laying on the bed, bandages covering nearly his entire face. His hair was cut down to let the uppermost bandage wrap around his head tighter. Going down his right side, his gown was covered in the faintest amount of dried blood, and Jojen had to imagine there were only more bandages wrapped around him. But it was his legs that were the worst. They were both in splints and covered in more visible gauze. Bran looked so fragile, so broken.

It was Jon who spoke first, a grin was on a face. "You look terrible, man."

"No you don't! You look great." Jojen didn't know what had come over him to say that; he knew Jon was joking, but he continued, "I mean, it doesn't look that bad." He rubbed the back of his head, and kept going, babbling at this point, "For like an injury, usually people look worse and you don't at all... Yeah."

Bran was staring at him, a glint of curiosity in his eyes. Meera was staring at him. Jon was probably staring at him too, but Jojen was too flustered to look at the man. The boy on the bed grinned, and looked at Jon. "Fuck you, I look great according to him." He raised his left hand and pointed at Jojen. The Reed couldn't help but smile at that, looking down at his feet.

"Jo doesn't know what he's on about. Bit blind if you ask me," Jon said. Meera laughed at his joke, leaving Bran and Jojen both with confused looks on their faces.

"Nah, he's not too blind," Meera said, now winking at the poor boy on the bed. Bran giggled a bit, a tiny gasp of pain escaping his lips. The girl had to apologise for that and said, "Sorry! Don't do anything that hurts."

"It's okay. Haven 't had a good laugh in a while," he looked at Jojen again. "Which reminds me. Have fun in class today? Did ya miss me?"

Jojen rolled his eyes, letting out a chuckle. "In your dreams."

"Aha, so you did me. Thought so."

He couldn't think of anything to say to that. Bran was flirting with him. Or at least, playing along in his drugged, hospitalised state. His heart started beating a bit faster. Luckily for him, Jon swooped in with another question. "Robb's coming over for lunch tomorrow. Want me to swing on over with him?"

"Yeah, that would be cool."

"You know, Robb's saying it's his fault," Jon said. Jojen wondered why this was Robb's fault, but instead, Jon asked about the severity of the injuries. A part of Jojen didn't want to listen. "That's right, these guys don't know how bad it is. Waited to see if you wanted to say?" The boy nodded his head yes.

Bran nudged himself up slightly on the bed. "I have total paralysis in my right leg, near total paralysis in my left. My lower spine was damaged in the crash." Now Jojen really wanted to cry, unable to continue listening to Bran. He was paralysed. Crippled in the crash. That's why he couldn't move around on his bed that much. Reflexively, the Reed boy took a step forward to the bed. Bran's voice started to come back to him, "A branch pierced the metal of the car and stabbed my right side, cracking a rib. And the glass from the passenger side window sliced the right side of my face a bit."

"Fuck..." Meera started. "Sorry, but that's all I can think to say. You feeling alright? Got you drugged to hell and back I bet."

As if on queue, the blue-eyed boy yawned loudly. "I'm only a tiny bit sleepy."

Jon laughed, and said, "A lot less drugged up than I thought you'd be. You need to get some sleep."

"No, don't go yet!" Bran said more loudly than anything he'd said previously. His eyes widened, trying to get the older man to sympathise with him. Jojen would fall for those eyes every moment of every day. Right now, he wanted to go over and kiss him right there and then. Fuck everyone else in the room. Fuck the bandages, covering his perfect face. Fuck everything that had happened. He was still the same Brandon Stark he met last year, the same boy he had the worst crush imaginable on.

"Bro, you need to sleep. Jojen can come again," Jon said, looking at him. Inside Jojen's head, however, he could only think about the way in which Jon had said it. Come again. Jojen decided he did that on purpose. "He could come tomorrow if he wanted to."

"Really?" Bran looked at Jojen. "Yeah, come after school. Pretty please?" He had those eyes pointed at Jojen, those two perfect blue eyes.

Jojen rolled his eyes on the inside, and fainted a bit on the inside. "Oh of course. How can I refuse my favourite underclassmen."

Bran had the cockiest grin on his face as he let out another yawn. "That's right. Besides, if I looked great today, I'll only look better tomorrow."

"I've changed my mind, you're definitely drugged up man." Jon shook his head as he said it, and nodded his head at Bran. "Now go to sleep. Let the nurse know if you need anything. And call me, because until Robb comes back to the flat, I'm closest. I can pop over in a heartbeat."

The Stark boy waved his hand as they all started to leave, "Alright, alright. Night Jon. It was good to see you Meera." The two walked out of the room while Jojen stopped at the door and looked back. Bran was staring at him, the blue in his eyes still clear as the sea from here. "Thanks for coming over Jojen. I love your hair like that, by the way." The boy rolled so he was facing the ceiling, bringing the covers up a bit higher.

"Sleep tight Bran." Jojen walked out the door, closing the door silently behind him, the widest smile across his face. He closed his eyes, and was still holding onto the handle when the nurse tapped his shoulder. Jojen jumped up a bit, startled from the tap.

"Sorry dear. The two you were with went down," she said, still smiling as she had before they came in.

"Thank you." The nurse continued down the corridor, disappearing into another hospital room. Jojen made his way back downstairs, checking out in reception before heading back outside into the cold night. He put his hands in his jacket pockets, kicking at the pavement. He didn't only like his hair; Bran loved his hair like this. Meera pulled the car up, and told Jojen to get in.

Any other night and he would've asked her teasingly about Jon. If they'd kissed. Tonight though, Jojen couldn't stop smiling. "Dud, you look like you're fucking high. Something happen?"

"Yeah. He likes what I've done with my hair a lot."

Meera shoved his shoulder, "No way. He said that?"

Jojen nodded his head, and she laughed, driving the car forward. "Well, if it's any consolation. You two would look really cute."

"Really? Cute?" Jojen tilted his head towards her, raising his eyebrow. "Don't think I've ever heard you say something so girly before."

"Fuck off, I am a girl if you didn't notice. And yes really. Really cute actually." The Reed looked down at his knees, smiling at what she said. "I mean, look at you now. I hope you and Bran have fun tomorrow. He really needs it right now."

* * *

**A/N**: As always, leave a review, or comment, they mean a lot. But most importantly, enjoy the story. :)

_Disclaimer: I do not own any characters, places, etc from the universe of George R.R Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series or HBO's Game of Thrones. I write this for myself and the enjoyment of others._


	6. Chapter 6

Someone was moving around the bed, and Bran awoke with a start. He cried out in pain, having forgotten that he couldn't move - or at least, not move without great physical discomfort. "Sorry, didn't think that would wake you," his nurse said, holding him down with her hand.

"You're changing my bandages?" Bran could feel air hitting his right side. It stung with where the cuts were exposed, and a tiny amount of blood started seeping out. "While I was sleeping!"

"Calm down, Brandon. If you hadn't tried to jump out of the bed, this wouldn't've happened." She smiled tightly as she finished speaking, applying a wet cloth to the spot on his torso. The pressure of her hand felt good on the wound.

"Yeah, yeah. Just have to get used to it," the boy said, audibly sighing as he closed his eyes. He felt her start applying the new bandaging to the wound, finishing it off with a pat on his shoulder.

"There, all better," she started. "And you will grow accustomed to it. Now, are you feeling in pain at all? Are you thirsty?"

Bran shook his head, though he immediately regretted the decision. He was dizzy enough from jumping up earlier.

"Well, that's good, but you do need to keep resting, dear," she said, moving towards the door. "I'll be right back to check up on you." And as quick as she had said it, she was out the door. Bran once again let out a defeated sigh. But, he didn't care, today he'd be seeing Robb and Jon for lunch. That was going to be plenty of fun; though he hoped Robb wasn't still beating himself up too badly.

Robb was a fantastic brother, and Bran could hardly remember how many times the older boy had gotten him out of the worst of scrapes before. Those types of escapades had dropped in number after he and Jon moved to the city to go to college. They lived in a little flat downtown, and Bran tried to go over whenever he could.

The boy's mind went on to who would be coming later in the day after that. And a tiny amount of red came to the Stark's cheeks. Jojen would be paying him a visit after school.

_Alone with Jojen._

Bran smiled, turning his head towards the only window in the room. He'd met the boy from Greywater in art class last year. The shy junior who'd asked to sit at Bran's table with some of the guys Bran was friends with. He couldn't refuse the guy, and they'd been quick to become friends.

He still didn't know if what he had was a crush on the boy; all Bran knew was that he enjoyed being with him, being close to him. Being really close to him. He liked when Jojen would grab his shoulder or point something out to him in his writing. The way that the Reed boy would move so close they'd almost be brushed up together.

"Here you are," the nurse said, backing through the door with a bottle of water. She walked over and placed it on the table, wheeling it over to Bran. Taking a look at his position, she kindly asked, "Need any help?"

Great. All Bran needed was for her to force it down his throat. He tried raising himself up slightly, arcing a bit more than he had the day before. It hurt a lot more than he felt like admitting, but he finally came to a somewhat raised position. "I can do it myself, thanks."

"Very good. Well, if you need anything at all, I'm a buzz away," she said and walked to the door. Her hand was close to opening the door before she looked back, saying, "And be sure to drink, Brandon. I don't want to come back to you having not touched this."

Finally she was gone. Bran grabbed the bottle, slowly bringing it to his lips. Taking a little sip, which was honestly refreshing, he turned the telly on. Immediately he was bombarded by _Counting with Lionel_, a kid's programme on _Jtoons_.

"Damn it," Bran said to himself. All of his go-to channels were on kids programming because it was early in the day. He flicked through until he came to _WBC_ and left it on that. Seemed to be the beginning of a new hour, due to the headlines being read off by the newscaster on the screen.

_"In a sweeping reform package this morning, Prime Minister Jonathon Arryn and the SSP have scored a massive victory in the Upper House of Parliament. It is expected that the opposition party's chairman, Mr Mace Tyrell of the SCA, will resign from his position later today._

_"In other news, the greater area of Qarth has experienced its fifth attack in as many weeks. GN forces continue to monitor and protect the city itself. We have Emilia Genet on scene with more."_

Bran's eyes started to droop down, his focus being lost on the words. He yawned and turned to face the window in the room, with its bright sunlight streaming in. A tear came to his eye involuntarily. He'd never run again. Jogging was one of the few things outside he enjoyed doing for his school. His older sister Arya played on the footie team for his school - the North High Direwolves. They had a match against the Winterfell High Wolves on Thursday. With a sigh, he said softly, "I truly doubt I'll be going to that." Keeping his eyes open was becoming harder, and after a few moments, he was back asleep.

* * *

"Bran," a voice said, shaking his shoulder gently. "You there buddy?"

The young boy blinked his eyes a few times; the face in front of him was fuzzy for a moment before coming into focus. "Hey, Robb. Jon," Bran started with a half-smile. Bandaging was still covering most of his face, but he went ahead and said, "Sorry, was just getting some sleep. How else do you think I keep my face looking so bloody good?"

"So that's the secret," Robb said, grinning at his younger brother. Even through the grin, Bran could sense his older brother's worry. The way he kept eyeing the heartbeat monitor next to him. Or how his hand was so pale next to him.

Bran didn't want to directly address that. "That and delicious Braavosi food."

Robb looked away at Jon and back at Bran. "Well, about that..."

"I know, they don't let food back here," Bran said, sticking his tongue out. "Figured that out earlier. Did you guys enjoy it for me at least?"

His two older brothers had moved over to the chairs and sat down. It was Jon that answered now with a laugh, "Yep, even made sure to double on eel, just the way you like it."

"Damn, totally unfair."

"Hey, they even asked if you were coming in. It was all so good." Robb stayed rather silent, only nodding his head with a little grin.

"You doing okay, Robb?" Bran asked, concerned.

The older boy stood up and slammed his fist on the counter, only anger and hurt in his voice. "You're paralysed. I let all of this happen, and I can't even bring you your favourite food."

"Robb, we talked about this. None of it is your fault. Stop taking the blame for any of it," Jon said, standing up quickly and grabbing his brother's shoulder.

Softly, Bran spoke as well, hating to see his brother act like this. "Please Robb, calm down and listen to Jon. Listen to me even. This was an accident. I'm okay." Robb went back over to the chair and collapsed into it, putting his face in his hands. "I'm okay."

"There has to be something I can do. Anything you ask, I'm here."

"I know, Robb," Bran said, smiling. "Well, I have missed a few things from home."

"What do you need? I'll bring it when I come back later."

"For now, there's a book I'm reading. The _Tales of the Wall_ series. Book should be on my bed. Uhm, my tablet. MP3 player and headphones. Not sure if I can use them, but just bring my whole laptop bag."

"Okay," Robb said, nodding.

"And Robb?" He looked up at Bran.

"Yeah?"

"It's good that you're okay." The boy smiled and now a real smile came back at him from Robb.

"I'm really happy that you're okay too, little bro."

"Finally," Jon said, raising his arms in the air. "Thank all the gods, you're finally out of that ridiculous rut."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, shut up alright."

"Hey, what time is it?" Bran asked, looking back out the window with a slight tinge of pink on his cheeks.

"Nearly half past two. You want us gone already?" Robb looked at him curiously as he answered.

Jon came over and grabbed Robb's shoulder again, chuckling. "It's not that. C'mon, let's get out of here and get Bran's things. We'll be back in a few hours."

"Wait, what is it then?"

"Don't worry about it; see ya Bran," Jon waved at the boy. Bran waved back, still blushing. Both of the older boys were too distracted to notice.

"See you guys later. Love you."

"Love you too Bran," Robb said distractedly as he walked through the doors. "No, tell me, what is it? Should I be worried?" The door closed behind them, and Bran couldn't hear them anymore. He let out a sigh that he'd been keeping in for a while.

"Now to focus on Jojen," Bran said to himself, stretching his arms out. This was going to be fun.

* * *

**A/N**: Sorry that this took a while to get out to you guys. I haven't had the best of weeks. Also, I get a bit hung up on the fact Bran's paralysed, and it's actually rather hard to write him, and write the plot appropriately around that. I want realism, and being paralysed is a very serious thing. But I don't have any real knowledge or experience from anyone I know of what it's like to go through it. And online gives me so many different scenarios. I hope you guys can give me a bit of artistic freedom in how I portray him and his ailment in the story.

_ultrawolfie_: I know, I had all of that mapped and written out quickly. Then I kinda just hit a wall of sorts. I hope to get back on a steadier rhythm with future updates :)

_alif7858_: It's a bit late, but hopefully you'll still enjoy it :)

_MsChoKyuhyun_: It's been a while, and I'm sorry. I'm very happy that you find my writing lovely, makes me feel better about posting. Hope you continue to love it!

_GracesParadox_: You can't murder me just yet! (Sorry, sorry, sorry! I will not abandon this ever!)

As always, leave a review, or comment, they mean a lot. But most importantly, enjoy the story. :)

_Disclaimer: I do not own any characters, places, etc from the universe of George R.R Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series or HBO's Game of Thrones. I write this for myself and the enjoyment of others._


	7. Getting Ready

Letting a sigh out, the young, fire-headed woman sat down in one of the terminal chairs, dropping her purse into the seat next to her. The man with her shook his head, grinning, before sitting himself down next to her with a bit more grace.

Her eyes scanned the boarding pass for the millionth time, NorthernAIR flight 3357 to Winterfell leaving at 3pm from gate B2. She checked the gate and noticed the B2, and then she brought her wrist up, shaking the rather expensive watch to face her and saw it was only half past 2.

"Relax Sansa," the man next to her said, rubbing her shoulder. She gave him a curt grin and pulled her bag back into her lap. Ever since she was a little girl, she wasn't such a big fan of flying. And with all the nasty business in the east of Essos; it simply gave her cause to worry. Even if it was ridiculous to think of anything happening on a short flight to Winterfell.

Going through security had been easy enough, but for whatever reason, the airport was crowded this afternoon. Mostly with men and women in business attire. But not everyone looked to be on business. There was a woman talking with her husband loudly about how cold it was this far south this year. Sansa had to mentally agree with them. A family from Dorne were perhaps the most out of place in front of them. The man leading them seemed to be the only one capable of speaking any Westerosi. And with some difficulty, the security droid managed to get them moving towards the correct terminal before continuing on his path.

She tapped her foot on the floor, trying to get comfortable before grabbing her mobile out of the bag; knowing that she needed to ring her mum before they took off. Taking one reassuring look from her companion, she dialled her mum's number. And almost immediately, Catelyn picked up. Sansa cursed inwardly that her mother kept her phone so close to her - giving her no time to let the breath out.

"_Sansa, dear, is everything alright?_"

"Yes, mum, I'm fine. Everything's perfect as can be here." She could hear her mum let out a sigh of relief from the other side. Bran's accident had spooked her mum so badly. That was one of the reasons Sansa wanted to get home quickly. The other, well, he was still sitting patiently next to her.

"_Good, good - I'm glad you're still loving university down in Kingston. So why have you called, dear?_"

Sansa looked next to her, and received only a reassuring nod. "Well, I'm going to be coming up..."

"_Really! When? At the start of your holiday?_" Catelyn's voice instantly filled with excitement.

Sansa twirled her hair in her fingers, smiling silly at her mum's cheeriness. "Joff..." She said as she looked to Joffrey, hoping he'd say something helpful. Instead, he took her hand and massaged her fingers, leaving her on her own. "Well, not exactly. I'm actually at Blackwater International right now. And I have a flight to Winterfell leaving in a half-hour."

Her mum was silent for a moment, before simply asking, "_How?_"

"Uhm, you'll see when I get there," Sansa said, before quickly moving on, "Just keep me visiting a secret. I don't want Bran finding out I'm coming."

"_Of course. He'll love it! Just give dad or me a ring when you land, and we'll come get you._ _Alright?_"

"Will do. Love you mum."

"_Love you too dear. Be safe!_"

The Stark girl pressed the end call button, and her phone returned to her lock screen. Sansa took a moment to admire the photo of her and Joffrey, sitting outside at _Le'Poline Esose_. Joffrey had insisted she try the food, and it had ended up being a really fun date. Her grin remained, but she was still feeling shaky as the screen faded before going black.

Dropping her mobile back into her bag, Sansa slid further into her seat. An arm snaked its way around her shoulder, drawing her in. And a kiss on top of her head calmed all of her nerves instantly.

"You know, Sansa. If we'd told them before now, maybe you'd not to have to be so secretive with your parents. You're not ashamed of me are you?" the blonde haired man said sarcastically.

"Oh, they'll love you Joff," Sansa said, smiling at his tighter hold of her. "And I haven't met your mum either to be fair."

Joffrey's dad had died when he was very young, leaving his mother to take care of him alone. He'd told her so much, and Sansa had come to learn that the woman was fiercely independent and protective of her children. Joffrey had two younger siblings who Sansa had yet to meet as well. Growing up though, it did help that his grandfather owned one of the largest banks in Westeros, especially for situations like today.

"What? And have the only other woman in my life fall for your wiles and charm and beauty as well? You'll make me awfully jealous." He batted his eyelashes, the humour playing on his upturned lip.

"Shut up. Such a mommy's boy," the Stark girl said, shoving Joffrey gently.

He responded by pushing the hair out of her face and kissing her forehead softly. "You've broken me, you know." Sansa smiled and closed her eyes, enjoying the warmth of Joff on her. Only a short while passed before they heard the calls beginning for boarding.

. . .

Jojen had left the school building in a rush, waiting rather impatiently for his sister to pick him up. He'd been nervous all day, and now that he was finally heading over, his stomach felt like it might lurch out of his body. But still, his heart kept him focused on seeing Bran and hanging out for the afternoon.

After what felt like an hour, her car finally came into view. And quickly, Jojen hopped into the passenger seat, buckling in. Almost immediately, he felt his chest tighten.

"So what's the plan, bro? Just taking you to the hospital to see your boyfrie-"

"Meera..." Jojen said, his hands tightly grabbing onto the car seat. Why she had to be so incredibly insufferable was beyond him.

"Sorry, sorry, see your "Bran"-friend." The girl laughed at her own joke, turning onto the motorway.

Jojen turned to look out the window, watching the other cars as they drove past. "Well, actually, I was wondering if we could stop by that little corner store first. Next to the café."

"And why's that?" Meera asked. Jojen could hear the smirk in her voice but answered anyway.

"I just want to pick him up something. He looked so frail in the hospital bed, and his room was so plain..." Staring at the highway pass by, he felt his cheeks start to burn. He could hardly wait to hear Meera's retort.

"Flowers and a little wittle stuffed wolf?" Meera asked, not even trying to hide the humour in her voice. Jojen's cheeks felt even warmer as his sister continued to poke fun at him.

He breathed in and out before turning and saying, "Yes. It'll make his room look that much more cheerful." Inwardly, he whispered, "And I know he'll like it."

Still, Meera heard him, and she roughed up his shoulder. "I'm sure he'll love it, Jo."

. . .

"What the fuck am I doing," Jojen quietly said to himself, standing in front of a wall of cards. Meera was waiting outside, and almost immediately, Jojen had walked in and went to look for cards. His eyes went to the "For Boyfriends" section before quickly turning upwards at the ceiling. Getting Bran a card like that seemed rather akin to suicide - well, maybe not quite that extreme. An older woman walked up beside him, looking at the cards as well. She watched Jojen struggling and offered a suggestion.

"Who's the lucky girl?" the woman said, a tiny smile on her face.

Jojen looked around for the person she asked and noticing the woman had asked him, he coughed before stammering out, "Excuse me?"

"Are you looking for a card for a special girl? A girlfriend perhaps?" The woman continued to smile, and Jojen could feel his cheeks getting redder. Still, he couldn't find the words in himself to answer her. Luckily, the woman seemed to sense his apprehension and smiled wider. "A boy is it then?"

He swallowed before nodding. "Yes," Jojen squeaked out, feeling entirely out of himself. "Accident... He's in the hospital, and I want to get him something meaningful." Jojen looked back at the cards, frightened of telling a stranger this. But instead the woman reached out and picked one of the cards.

Handing it to him, she smiled and said, "May the Gods watch over him, and you. Must be one special boy for you to be so wound up."

"He is," Jojen said, reassuring himself in the process. Bran was a special boy, and Jojen would do anything to see him happy. Especially after the state that he had found him in. The woman herself went to getting a card for her grand-daughter's birthday and walked away. "Now for..."

The Reed boy turned and found himself face-to-face with a wall of stuffed animals. "Seriously, what the fuck am I thinking." Looking down at the card, he shook his head, a tiny grin coming to his lips and said, "That's what I'm thinking."

Grabbing a rather cute and large stuffed wolf, wearing a Winterfell FC jersey, he went over to pay at the self-checkout and get on his way to the hospital, hoping that his sister was right, and that Bran would love this. Because all Jojen could feel were his cheeks burning and his heart beating as he stepped into the car.

* * *

**A/N**: I'm on holiday in NYC. Only excuse I have as to why this took so long is that it's not exactly easy to write - and I get frustrated really easily. I'm just setting up things for the future. And trying out multi-POVs. Oh, and I am totally a fan of way OOC Joffrey and Sansa, sorryyyy :D

_ultrawolfie_: That's a great, cheerful little anecdote, and I do have some ideas for this Bran and getting him some feeling back. But, not quite yet. Things can't be so happy so soon. The rest of the Stark clan will be visiting soon enough.

_Annabelle_: I read through the chapter again, but I'm not entirely sure where you get confused. Jojen is definitely older between the two. An entire grade-level ahead.

_vocaloidlover16_: ...I have updated, against all odds. Plenty of awkward cutesiness to come from Bran and Jojen!

As always, leave a review, or comment, they mean a lot. But most importantly, enjoy the story. :)

_Disclaimer: I do not own any characters, places, etc from the universe of George R.R Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series or HBO's Game of Thrones. I write this for myself and the enjoyment of others._


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